Why do butter, cream and alcohol improve food? There is a similarity with creative people…

The reason is chemistry. Butter, cream and alcohol have many free chemical bonds, so they form different combinations with the other ingredients. The same goes for creative people. They see and create new combinations, which can sometimes be quite brilliant;-) They can also look at something from a different angle, which can lead to something new. This characteristic is of course an asset.

Maybe that's why in Sweden we have the expression "grädde på moset"(cream on the puree).

One tip is to strive for everyone in the team to be a world champion at something, i.e. the best in the team at something that the team needs from time to time. Then that member will feel in demand and thus important. This, in turn, makes you inclined to be humble about the competence of others in the team. In addition, if you have a common goal, which everyone has understood and accepted, then you have a good basis for countering destructive conflicts. Healthy conflicts always exist. The trick is to manage the conflicts in a balanced way related to everyone's needs.

On the other hand, a different way of looking at things is disturbance, because the brain works against what is new. It is more demanding to handle. It takes less energy to go on with a routine. As a result, those who are creative are not always applauded for their ideas. Rather, they are seen as troublesome. "Troublesome people" is actually the title of a good book by Anders Johnson. It's about 400 years of Swedish entrepreneurship.

The best situation for ideas is, of course, when there is a problem. However, there is an important condition: most of the people involved must believe that there is a problem. This will make people more inclined to open up to other ways of dealing with the situation. There is something that balances the effort to act in a new way. One politician had the strategy: Never miss the opportunity to change when there is a crisis, or as the Chinese proverb says: When people are doing well, you must use kid gloves. When there is a crisis, you can immediately take a hard line.

Either way, the wealth of ideas and openness to new things can become a problem for creatives. They can become fragmented. That's why they need to think through their goals and nurture them well. This will make it easier for them to say no and stay focused.

Creatives also need to think about how they communicate, as they don't think in typical ways. Others struggle to keep up. Invariably, others lose the thread and wait for the creative's "attack" to pass. This is unfair, because the creative needs feedback, otherwise the creative is "feeding the crows" (Swedish expression). Of course, you should speak up when you don't get it. It will then be stimulating for the creative.

Another problem for creative communication is that they are not as picky about words as most people are. They are not always consistent. They speak more roughly and with broad brush strokes. This also makes them harder to understand. That's why you should ask. Otherwise, the creative might think: “I said that an hour and a half ago! Aren't you listening to me?”

It is typical of creatives that they can get caught up in an interest. Those around them may be bothered. Too focused, they think. This is of course both a strength and a problem for creatives. Unfortunately, most pluses usually have a minus. If you are too persistent in reducing the minus, the plus can also be reduced... Like so many things, it is a balancing act. Anyway, the creative can get fed up one day and lose interest. After a while, the pattern repeats itself...

Finally, an important piece of information about the creatives. They are often at the last minute with their delivery. They often think: I shouldn't finish the document, because I can come up with something even better... However, they should come to their senses and realise that version 3.0 can be good enough, as long as it is not something very important that they have to deliver.

By the way, if the creatives and cream..., they may seem very interested in something, but then remember that it is not certain that they will go ahead, as there is always a lot in their pipeline. Something else may have been given higher priority.

The uncreative...

What can the uncreative do to become more creative? My view is that many people are more creative than they realise. This characteristic may have been suppressed by school or parents. If you want to bring out that dormant quality. You must increase your self-confidence and self-esteem. That you dare to say something different. Something that you are unsure of. Endure being met with scepticism. Or worse, objections driven by jealousy, because there may be a competition about who is the best. And so on.

One strategy could be to be more selective about who you collaborate with. On the other hand, this can create a bubble of like-mindedness. Everyone agrees with each other. In an effective group, there is diversity. This means many different experiences and points of view. It is important to respect each other, because then things can be good. But of course you should speak up when you think differently. And that it is OK.

Generally speaking, it is also good to do new things that can enrich you. Meet new people. Start talking to others in everyday situations. Such a style can be really enriching. Think: What is the worst thing that could happen? Asking questions and listening to the other person is particularly beneficial, but the ideal is of course dialogue.